Apple Clay (Charoset)

Part of the traditional Passover seder, this sweet apple “clay” represents the brick and mortar the Israelites used in their captivity.

Printable Version

Makes

1 cup

Prep time:

2 minutes

Total Time:

5 minutes

Good For:

Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

My favorite part of the Passover Seder meal has to be this: apple clay, or charoset in Hebrew.

What, you ask, is apple clay? In the context of the seder, it’s a sweet mixture slightly red in color that represents the brick and mortar the Israelites were forced to make while in captivity in Egypt. It’s made of simple ingredients, all chopped up and blended together into a smoothie-like consistency: apples (I like honeycrisp or gala for this), almonds, honey, cinnamon, and grape juice.

Then comes the next question…how do you eat it? In the seder meal, it’s usually eaten with matzah or unleavened bread, along with a bit of horseradish, which are the bitter herbs that call to mind the bitterness and tears of that captivity. We’ve found that this apple clay pairs perfectly with my unleavened bread with honey and enjoy it as a special treat together!

Ingredients

Instructions

1 medium apple
¼ cup almonds
½ cup grape juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey

Chop the apple into small pieces—no need to peel it first!
.
Combine chopped apple and all other ingredients in a blender or food processor.
.
Pulse until a coarse clay is formed; it should be thicker than a smoothie but close.
.
Serve with matzah, unleavened bread, crackers, or with other fruit slices.

Printable Version

From the Books

Charoset would have been served with every Passover in my Biblical stories and is particularly mentioned in At His Feet…Mary sends Magdalene to Jesus with his favorite apple clay for what turns out to be the Last Supper. This is definitely the version I had in mind!